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PORTSMOUTH astronaut Tim Peake endured yet more problems contacting home after a link-up with a school had to be aborted part-way through.

The space pioneer was trying to speak to pupils at Sandringham School in St Albans, Hertfordshire, via amateur radio from the International Space Station (ISS) this morning.

The call got off to a slow start due to problems connecting with the ISS.

Pupils were eventually able to ask five questions - ranging from queries about liquid hydrogen and molecular forces to whether a helium balloon rises in space - before the seven-minute call was terminated.

The communication, though truncated, meant Sandringham was the first school to make live contact with the former University of Portsmouth student.

But it was the latest in a series of communications mishaps for the celebrated astronaut, who accidentally dialled the wrong number when he attempted to phone home at Christmas.

Major Peake ended up speaking to a complete stranger, greeting her with the message ‘Hello, is this planet Earth?’ before discovering the recipient was not who he intended.

A week earlier, and shortly after take-off from Kazakhstan, Major Peake had to leave a voicemail message for his parents when he called while they were out.

Major Peake’s work in space has won over a new army of fans since his launch last month.

He has recorded a message to the Queen and performed somersaults during a New Year broadcast.

The 43-year-old former Army Air Corps officer and helicopter test pilot is the first Briton aboard the ISS and the first fully British professional astronaut employed by a space agency.

Previous ‘Brits in space’ have either had US or dual citizenship or been on privately-funded or sponsored trips.

Major Peake is due to take part in his first space walk next week on January 15 to repair a power unit on the outside.